Letters to Wilma will trace the path of a WWII Army doctor from training on Cape Cod, to landing D-Day plus 6 in Normandy, and concluding 1400 miles later in Leipzig, Germany. Greg's path included the Battle of the Bulge and the liberation of the slave labor camp at Nordhausen, with the 438th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion. Wilma became his wife, and I their fourth child.

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29 October, 2011

29 October 1944

438th AAA AW BN

APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.

Germany

29 October, 1944 1000

Sunday Morning

My dearest darling –

Well – at last the weather has broken and the way I figure it, Germany owes us about forty good sunny days. Yesterday p.m. it really turned out fine and what a foot-ball day it would have been! They don’t re-broadcast the games over here – although in the evening we got some of the half-time scores. I really stayed up late last night, darling, but hell, it was Saturday night! But I was in bed at 2245; that’s at least an hour later than my usual retiring time.

We were over at the Colonel’s place again last night and had a swell game of Bridge. I was on the winning side again and I’m really enjoying Bridge more than I do Poker. We sipped Cognac – all during the game – some of the stuff I got in a recent trip. When we finished four rubbers, we sat around and talked and reminisced. The Colonel was in the class of ’33 at the Point and I guess he saw all the Harvard-Army games I’ve seen. We had a lot of fun ribbing each other.

There wasn’t any mail yesterday and the whole p.m. was a very dull one. I got off my usual Saturday report and worked a bit on our monthly reports which are due in a couple of days. That reminds me – another pay day coming up soon – and I guess I’ll send the bulk of it home. But there now exists a bare possibility of spending some money; they are beginning to give 48 hour passes to Paris and a couple of other cities – but it’s on a rotation system and I don’t suppose my turn will come up unless we’re in for a very long war.

By the way, dear, starting day after tomorrow we, or I, go out again on those 3 day inspection trips to the batteries, which means that I’ll be going out for 3 days – about every week or 10 days for about 4 weeks. It will help break up the time – although it’s somewhat of a nuisance.

Say, I’m sorry I made one set-up look so permanent to you, darling, although we did have the desks etc. It just happened to be the former office of the SS outfit in the town and was therefore quite complete and comfortable. But to move on is what we want most of all, dear, because it’s only that way that we’ll get home soonest. When we stay put for any length of time – as we have been doing recently – we get fed up. You ask me whether my outfit ever gets up to the front lines – and I can’t answer that; I’ll tell you about it after the war, dear. Your reaction to news about AA is understandable, though – because they are used for such diverse purposes and you couldn’t possibly arrive at any definite conclusions. We’ve had all kinds of missions, some good and some bad – but that’s the way with war.

You must have paid more than $1.00 Sweetheart to get such a swell palmistry reading; not that I don’t think you have all those qualities – of course! I know our palms – or what they signify will jibe perfectly – and that thought makes me happy, dear. I’m just waiting for the time we get the chance to “jibe” – so to speak –

Well – that’s all for now, sweetheart – I’ll have to stop now. Hope to hear from you this p.m. In the meantime – so long, love to the folks – and

All my sincerest and deepest love,

Greg

* TIDBIT *

about Another Hahn

Hahn, Germany was described in the 11 October 1944 entry. Although the description was accurate, it was not about the Hahn, Germany where Greg was staying at this time. There is more than one! According to Google Maps, there are six different codes for Hahn in three different regions. The one described in the 11 October entry was the first on the list below. However, Greg was at the third one on the list, just 6 miles from the center of Aachen, while the battle to take that city raged.